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Description

Body armor made by the Atwater Armor Company of New Haven, Connecticut, and worn by Brigadier General William G. LeDuc of Hastings, Minnesota, circa 1862. Steel breastplates, purported to protect against gunfire, were sold by sutlers and commercial dealers during the Civil War. The vests were of questionable effectiveness, and were heavy to wear and to carry on long marches. Many were quickly abandoned by their owners.